“… among communities of universities, there are episodes of innovation and hybridization, when new forms appear” (Ashby, 1967, p. 3). This statement, by the botanist and former vice chancellor of the University of Cambridge, is still valid and describes a situation that can currently be observed in Germany. In this paper the new orientation of the German university system is outlined against the backdrop of its traditional past. Of course, the German university system has been subject to constant change.